Affidavit provides new details in Medina murder
By Jessica Coleman
Contributing Writer
New details have emerged regarding the arrest of Romero Govea Romero, the 23-year-old man who confessed to the December 5 murder of 16-year-old Lizbeth Medina, who lived at Cottonwood Apartments in Edna with her mother, Jacqueline.
According to a probable cause affidavit, dated December 11 and signed by Edna Police Department Detective Stacy Cavazos, Romero displayed “stalking-type behavior” prior to the fatal stabbing, as well as acting in ways that made other teens afraid for their lives in the days that followed.
Jacqueline Medina said she became worried about her daughter when she did not show up to the Lighted Christmas Parade in downtown Edna on December 5. The Edna High School junior was supposed to perform with her fellow cheerleaders. Her cheer coach reported to Jacqueline that Liz had not attended school that day. Following the parade, Lizbeth’s mother and friends went to the apartment to try to locate her. Jacqueline would then find her daughter dead in the bathtub of their apartment clothed and soaking wet.
On December 9, police released still images from a neighbor’s surveillance video, showing a man matching Romero’s description running toward a silver Ford Taurus. Police say the video was taken around 10:15 a.m., just after another neighbor claims she heard two loud “thuds” in the Medina apartment. The affidavit also says a video from the same camera showed a vehicle matching the silver Taurus driving through the Cottonwood parking lot around 10 p.m. the night before, and that police believed Romero may have been involved in a burglary that occurred in the home on November 13.
According to the document, Lizbeth’s phone was active in the days following her death. Her boyfriend said after her phone was found missing from the scene, he noted the device’s location as being a half mile away from her home. A cousin reported
a Snapchat message to Lizbeth being opened on December 6, and Lizbeth’s friend and boyfriend both received replies to text messages on December 9.
“Both Lizbeth’s boyfriend and friend feared the person who murdered Lizbeth was also targeting them,” the affidavit read, which said that the boyfriend’s father worried that Lizbeth’s phone was still tracking his son’s device since the couple typically shared their location with one another.
“I believed the suspect of this murder was at large and a present danger to the community,” wrote Cavazos. “I was especially concerned that the person believed to be the murder suspect was texting other high school students, leading me to believe the suspect was targeting students. Furthermore, I believe the public was in danger due to the stalking-type behavior displayed by the suspect via the potential connection of the 11/13/2023 burglary and driving through the apartment complex on 12/4/2023.”
Information provided by AT&T regarding the geolocation of Lizbeth’s phone led police to a residence in Schulenburg, where Romero was interviewed. He ultimately confessed to the murder and was taken into custody. Other items belonging to Lizbeth were found in his possession as well, including her wallet and identifying documents.
While Romero is being held at the Jackson County Jail on $2 million bond, an immigration hold based on his expired Visa makes him ineligible for bond.